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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink a couple hot tips for your pedals/pedalboard

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Do you find yourself frustrated by other people putting velcro on your pedals before you get them? That stuff has got to come off! Plus I came up with a way to prevent having to go to heroic measures to do that in the first place - check it out Smile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X9oOT3kyqs

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--
Project: MAYHEM by Hypersonic Secret now available!

Last edited: Mar 21, 2023 09:57:21

...and putting it into action!

https://youtu.be/p8BnU_aYWYY

image

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Project: MAYHEM by Hypersonic Secret now available!

Velcro is of the devil, and dual-lock is far from perfect. I use Temple Audio’s mounting system. You have to use their boards, but it works better than any other approach I’ve tried.

image

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

What's the big problem with velcro?
If done right and neatly it's the best secure attachment.
I only use HOOK on the pedal and LOOP on the board. And I think there should be a universal standard established in that order.
I can easily swap stuff around and exchange pedals.
BTW the goo residue can be easily removed with acetone, except watch those cheap paint jobs could remove paint too.

image

image

IceratzSurf wrote:

What's the big problem with velcro?
If done right and neatly it's the best secure attachment.
I only use HOOK on the pedal and LOOP on the board. And I think there should be a universal standard established in that order.
I can easily swap stuff around and exchange pedals.
BTW the goo residue can be easily removed with acetone, except watch those cheap paint jobs could remove paint too.

I may have been mildly exaggerating about Velcro being from the Devil, but I do have a strong preference for the Temple Audio solution. There are disadvantages, but at least for my purposes, they are minor. The Temple Audio system uses plates that affix to the bottom of the pedal with a double-sided cushion tape, similar to what is used to attach trim pieces to cars. The plates can be attached to the board with thumb screws and are aligned by the perforations in the board. The adhesive in the cushioned tape is a permanent adhesive that tends not to loosen in normal temperature ranges. The plates can be removed with a putty knife and Goo Gone can be used to clean the surface. They even sell replacement adhesive pads, so the plates can be reused.

The downside is that once you’ve mounted a plate, you can move that pedal by the increment of the perforations in the board, unless you remove the plate and apply new adhesive. This isn’t a huge problem, but it does limit subtle repositioning in a way that Velcro does not. I actually have done some serious pedal shuffling, in my day, and it’s rarely been a problem.

I really like Temple Audio’s system and believe it to be well thought out and compressive. I’m attaching a photo of my board, which has Cioks power distribution units on both ends and is tightly packaged. It appeals to the rocket scientist in my soul. Smile

image

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

synchro wrote:

IceratzSurf wrote:

What's the big problem with velcro?
If done right and neatly it's the best secure attachment.
I only use HOOK on the pedal and LOOP on the board. And I think there should be a universal standard established in that order.
I can easily swap stuff around and exchange pedals.
BTW the goo residue can be easily removed with acetone, except watch those cheap paint jobs could remove paint too.

I may have been mildly exaggerating about Velcro being from the Devil, but I do have a strong preference for the Temple Audio solution. There are disadvantages, but at least for my purposes, they are minor. The Temple Audio system uses plates that affix to the bottom of the pedal with a double-sided cushion tape, similar to what is used to attach trim pieces to cars. The plates can be attached to the board with thumb screws and are aligned by the perforations in the board. The adhesive in the cushioned tape is a permanent adhesive that tends not to loosen in normal temperature ranges. The plates can be removed with a putty knife and Goo Gone can be used to clean the surface. They even sell replacement adhesive pads, so the plates can be reused.

The downside is that once you’ve mounted a plate, you can move that pedal by the increment of the perforations in the board, unless you remove the plate and apply new adhesive. This isn’t a huge problem, but it does limit subtle repositioning in a way that Velcro does not. I actually have done some serious pedal shuffling, in my day, and it’s rarely been a problem.

I really like Temple Audio’s system and believe it to be well thought out and compressive. I’m attaching a photo of my board, which has Cioks power distribution units on both ends and is tightly packaged. It appeals to the rocket scientist in my soul. Smile

image

Looks interesting, however I don’t understand how these patch modules and other stuff like Cioks works.

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

New Single is out!

https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single

Waikiki Makaki

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

No velcro here, courtesy of Guitto.

image

Samurai wrote:

synchro wrote:

IceratzSurf wrote:

What's the big problem with velcro?
If done right and neatly it's the best secure attachment.
I only use HOOK on the pedal and LOOP on the board. And I think there should be a universal standard established in that order.
I can easily swap stuff around and exchange pedals.
BTW the goo residue can be easily removed with acetone, except watch those cheap paint jobs could remove paint too.

I may have been mildly exaggerating about Velcro being from the Devil, but I do have a strong preference for the Temple Audio solution. There are disadvantages, but at least for my purposes, they are minor. The Temple Audio system uses plates that affix to the bottom of the pedal with a double-sided cushion tape, similar to what is used to attach trim pieces to cars. The plates can be attached to the board with thumb screws and are aligned by the perforations in the board. The adhesive in the cushioned tape is a permanent adhesive that tends not to loosen in normal temperature ranges. The plates can be removed with a putty knife and Goo Gone can be used to clean the surface. They even sell replacement adhesive pads, so the plates can be reused.

The downside is that once you’ve mounted a plate, you can move that pedal by the increment of the perforations in the board, unless you remove the plate and apply new adhesive. This isn’t a huge problem, but it does limit subtle repositioning in a way that Velcro does not. I actually have done some serious pedal shuffling, in my day, and it’s rarely been a problem.

I really like Temple Audio’s system and believe it to be well thought out and compressive. I’m attaching a photo of my board, which has Cioks power distribution units on both ends and is tightly packaged. It appeals to the rocket scientist in my soul. Smile

image

Looks interesting, however I don’t understand how these patch modules and other stuff like Cioks works.

The Ciocks Hi 5 power modules Mount to the end plates of the board and basically distribute DC. Each Jack is switchable for 9, 12, 15 or 18 volts. There is an AC adapter which mounts to the end plate, as well, and it feeds the Hi 5 modules. It’s not an inexpensive solution, but it works beautifully and doesn’t take up all that much space under the board.

The same photo shows the holes in the board, that the mounting plates use. There are oblong slots where cables can be passed through, and the mounting plates can be bridged over these slots, so the plates can be mounted, even where there is a slot. It’s a clever system.

image

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

taijiguy wrote:

No velcro here, courtesy of Guitto.

image

That looks like a great system.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

synchro wrote:

taijiguy wrote:

No velcro here, courtesy of Guitto.

That looks like a great system.

I'm happy with it. It's a heavy board though, I think heavier than the Temple Audio or the Aclam the design was borrowed from. But it seems to secure the pedals well.

synchro wrote:

Velcro is of the devil, and dual-lock is far from perfect. I use Temple Audio’s mounting system. You have to use their boards, but it works better than any other approach I’ve tried.

IMO you're not exaggerating. I can't tell you how disappointed and disgusted I was when the proprietary power supply on my last pedalboard failed and I had to take pedals off of it that had been on there for probably 6 years. The mess left behind by the velcro - on both the board AND the pedals - was a wretched PITA to clean.

I don't think you're wrong about the Temple Audio + CIOKS system. I considered it long before going to Pedaltrain + 1Spot. You identify the weakness of the Temple boards - they do lack infinite adjustability, and I decided that was important to me, which knocked them out of the running. Even though I didn't get one, I agree it's a fantastic system. It seems optimized for CIOKS power supplies, as I've seen anecdotal reports of other brands not fitting well under the boards.

CIOKS has some real benefits as well - the ability to switch any jack between 9-12-15-18V is a boon. What stopped me was two things: proprietary power cables (from the wall to the unit) and proprietary power cables (from the unit to the pedal). I've had too many random failures at soundcheck to go with anything I can't borrow from another band or source at a computer/hardware store, so it's IEC power cables for me.

The 1Spot power supply I use has a dedicated 18V jack, plus a few jacks that are 9-12 convertible. The rest are 9V. This led me to getting some 18V pedals to make sure I could use all the jacks, something I wouldn't have had to do with a CIOKS. There are always trade-offs when it comes to gear!

image

image

--
Project: MAYHEM by Hypersonic Secret now available!

chiba wrote:

synchro wrote:

Velcro is of the devil, and dual-lock is far from perfect. I use Temple Audio’s mounting system. You have to use their boards, but it works better than any other approach I’ve tried.

IMO you're not exaggerating. I can't tell you how disappointed and disgusted I was when the proprietary power supply on my last pedalboard failed and I had to take pedals off of it that had been on there for probably 6 years. The mess left behind by the velcro - on both the board AND the pedals - was a wretched PITA to clean.

I don't think you're wrong about the Temple Audio + CIOKS system. I considered it long before going to Pedaltrain + 1Spot. You identify the weakness of the Temple boards - they do lack infinite adjustability, and I decided that was important to me, which knocked them out of the running. Even though I didn't get one, I agree it's a fantastic system. It seems optimized for CIOKS power supplies, as I've seen anecdotal reports of other brands not fitting well under the boards.

CIOKS has some real benefits as well - the ability to switch any jack between 9-12-15-18V is a boon. What stopped me was two things: proprietary power cables (from the wall to the unit) and proprietary power cables (from the unit to the pedal). I've had too many random failures at soundcheck to go with anything I can't borrow from another band or source at a computer/hardware store, so it's IEC power cables for me.

The 1Spot power supply I use has a dedicated 18V jack, plus a few jacks that are 9-12 convertible. The rest are 9V. This led me to getting some 18V pedals to make sure I could use all the jacks, something I wouldn't have had to do with a CIOKS. There are always trade-offs when it comes to gear!

I use Truetone/1-Spot on other boards, the CS-6, which fits nicely under Temple’s smaller boards. I had CS-12 under a Temple Duo 24 and it had to be mounted directly to the underside of the board in order to fit, which also meant that there was a CA-12 sized area on top of the board that wasn’t usable. That situation was want prompted me to build the board I call my Practical Board (with a tip of the hat to Supertramp), as pictured above.

Having all of that unusable space on my Duo 24, gave rise to the idea of having a practical board with only the pedals I commonly use, which I built on a Duo 17 Temple board. The key was the Cioks power supply, which left plenty of room for pedals on top of the board.

A big part of the motivation for this was exactly what you mentioned above, too many pedal failures at sound check. In my case, I keep spare power cables in my pedalboard bag so I shouldn’t have to bum a non-standard cord on short notice. I also always keep a single One-Spot in the bag, in case I have to improvise,which is exactly what happened at my last gig, which I played with only a plate reverb pedal.

Perhaps 10 years ago, I had two Pedaltrain boards, small and large. Keep in mind that I live in a place where 110 degree F weather is common for several months every year, so the adhesive on the back of the Velcro was exposed to some pretty high temps during outdoor gigs. I ended up with a very sticky mess on those Pedaltrains. Now, it is possible to have the adhesive fail on a Temple Audio mounting pad, as well, but that would require higher temperatures, such as leaving a pedalboard in a locked car during the Tucson summer, when the interior temperature of an parked car can easily reach 170 degrees F.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Last edited: Mar 22, 2023 13:09:34

synchro wrote:

Perhaps 10 years ago, I had two Pedaltrain boards, small and large. Keep in mind that I live in a place where 110 degree F weather is common for several months every year, so the adhesive on the back of the Velcro was exposed to some pretty high temps during outdoor gigs. I ended up with a very sticky mess on those Pedaltrains.

I'm pretty sure it was a summer of a heavy outdoor gig schedule that caused my velcro mess. It sure was nasty! I do a similar thing - a big board with everything I can cram on it for home/studio use & the board pictured here, my practical board. I've been toying with the idea of going up one size for my practical board, but I find it keeps me focused on just what I need for gigs so maybe I won't.

--
Project: MAYHEM by Hypersonic Secret now available!

I have taken everything off my Gator Mini Bone and rethinking my pedalboard. As have no gigs I just may put all the pedals on the floor and experiment) But I think of getting bigger board to add Surfybear Compact there plus 3-4 pedals.

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

New Single is out!

https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single

Waikiki Makaki

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

chiba wrote:

synchro wrote:

Perhaps 10 years ago, I had two Pedaltrain boards, small and large. Keep in mind that I live in a place where 110 degree F weather is common for several months every year, so the adhesive on the back of the Velcro was exposed to some pretty high temps during outdoor gigs. I ended up with a very sticky mess on those Pedaltrains.

I'm pretty sure it was a summer of a heavy outdoor gig schedule that caused my velcro mess. It sure was nasty! I do a similar thing - a big board with everything I can cram on it for home/studio use & the board pictured here, my practical board. I've been toying with the idea of going up one size for my practical board, but I find it keeps me focused on just what I need for gigs so maybe I won't.

One thing I like about the Duo 17 board is that its size is floorspace-friendly. That comes in very handy, both around the house, and for gigs.

I had a concept, I called my Swiss Army board, and in fact I have a little Swiss-flag emblem that I mounted to the board. The idea was to have everything in one place. It is perfect for recording, or just experimenting, but not all that practical for everyday use.

If I’m playing Surf, I use Spring Reverb and possibly Tremolo; that’s it, and possible with one pedal, the True Spring, although I have a separate Tremolo pedal. For Country, I either use Plate Reverb, or Hall Reverb with Delay, so that’s a maximum of two pedals for Country. The Blossom Point is always on. I have an Overdrive, but it’s rarely used.

There is an unused Temple Audio Duo 24 board among my collection, and shipping costs being what they are, it’s not practical to ship it to a potential remote buyer, so I may revive the concept of the Swiss Army Board, giving a home to some of my unused pedals. It probably would be rarely used, but at least it keeps all of my unused pedals in one place.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

I have used Velcro for years and I've not had a problem, but it's probably because I don't stick the Velcro directly to the pedal. Instead I put down a layer of paper tape and stick the Velcro to that. Then if it gets gooey or sticky it will easily peel off with the paper tape, leaving the pedal clean. One more tip is before you stick on your Velcro, heat it up with a hairdryer or a heating gun until you see the adhesive melt (it gets real shiny), and then stick it. That will stick it far more permanently and I am pretty sure it stops the gooey breakdown. And because nothing is mounted on the pedals themselves, there is nothing to removing it.

Daniel Deathtide

DeathTide wrote:

I have used Velcro for years and I've not had a problem, but it's probably because I don't stick the Velcro directly to the pedal. Instead I put down a layer of paper tape and stick the Velcro to that. Then if it gets gooey or sticky it will easily peel off with the paper tape, leaving the pedal clean. One more tip is before you stick on your Velcro, heat it up with a hairdryer or a heating gun until you see the adhesive melt (it gets real shiny), and then stick it. That will stick it far more permanently and I am pretty sure it stops the gooey breakdown. And because nothing is mounted on the pedals themselves, there is nothing to removing it.

Makes a lot of sense. What kind of paper tape did you use?

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

I use this fancy stuff that I also use in my work called Shurtape, 2" matte black. This tape might get gooey in that hot environment that you were talking about, so perhaps the solution won't work down there. I am in New Orleans however and it does get extremely hot and humid. Usually the tape works just fine until it dries up and becomes flaky, after about 10 or 15 years. If it starts to get UEI pull it off and clean the area with either alcohol or lighter fluid.

Shurtape CP-743 Matte Black Paper Tape (aka Permacel P-743): 2 in. x 60 yds. (Black) https://a.co/d/6jzzbOn

Daniel Deathtide

Ok I am guilty of using lots of Velcro!
Dead Reverb
But its really not an issue for me, with the gooey problem some of you speak about.

I use 4" wide full width single piece on all my pedals.
It does not slip, (the stick goo that is) to reveal a mess that I would otherwise have to deal with.
The narrow 3/4" strips I see most others use would become an issue, as the movement of glue slides the velcro, the glue residue would become exposed. I don't have that issue.

Now here is a TRICK if you dare! Big Grin
Lets call it a COLD TIP, not a 'Hot' one!
Put your pedal in the freezer....the velcro and sticky adhesive rips right off, leaving very little to none of the residue.
Don't plug your pedal in for a while until it comes back to room temp!

Last edited: Mar 24, 2023 12:26:01

Do you find yourself frustrated by other people putting velcro on your pedals before you get them? That stuff has got to come off!

Not really as I always buy my pedals new. I only bought one pedal secondhand and I never use it anymore.

I use velcro because it's such a reliable and strong solution. I use a Gatorbox, a suitcase in which one half is a pedalboard and the other half is a temp stand for your instruments on stage. Ideal!

Fun fact: Velcro is so strong it can leave huge guys hanging on the wall with only the glue giving way ;)
Below is first a picture of my pedal board and my Dynacord Echocord with matching eminent amp, both original from 1962, more rare than a 1963 Fender Reverb Unit and a source of tremendous pride.

Except the Quilter Superbox US, every one of these pedals and effects are made in Europe.

image
image

Albums:
"Introducing..." (8 September 2021), "Impala '59" (17 July 2022), "De Favorieten Expres!" (22 November 2022 - charity album)
EP's:
Mr. Magnatech is not afraid of you! (2020), Surfin' the Tolka! (2021), An Evening With Magnatech (2023)
7":
Lana Del Rey/Do You Believe In Surf? (2020), Bundoran/Sweet Surfin' Sabine (2021), Cymopoleia/ Surfin' Demon Twist (2021), Dr Mabuse/Zombie Love Theme (2022)
Compilers:
Surfin' Kitty Xmas Vol. 2 (2021), Surfin' Kitty Xmas Vol. 3 (2022)
Sea Sea Rider (2022)
Surfin' Britannica vol 3 (2022)
Triple Agent IV compilation (2023)
Continental Magazine compiler (2023)
_An Evening With Magnatech (June 2023)
"Herr Magnatech Bittet Zum Tanz" (October2023)
7" "Do the Swine"/"Suvla Bay" (December 2023)
_Surfin' Kitty vol 4 (compiler)

https://magnatech.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/magnatechmusic
https://www.magnatech-music.com
https://sharawaji.bandcamp.com
https://sharawaji.com

Last edited: Mar 24, 2023 12:48:05

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